Angel Reese has won the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award, and the margin was huge. Reese received 46 of the 74 votes. Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams finished second with 20. Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, widely considered the best defender in the league, received just four.
The difference between the vote counts — 11 times as many for Reese as for Wilson, and more than twice as many as Williams — drew attention. It supports a suspicion some observers have held about Reese’s coverage for a long time: too many members of the media want her to be an elite player so badly that they oversell what she actually does.
The Record That Isn’t Defensive
This season Reese broke rebounding records, and the media celebrated her achievement. A more careful examination of her actual accomplishments, however, reveals a more complex picture.
Averaging 1.8 steals and leading the league in defensive win shares, she was a key part of Atlanta’s defense. She helped the team allow a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game. She joined a 30-win team that already played elite defense.
What she didn’t do: she averaged just 0.7 blocks per game. Wilson, the league’s best defender, averaged 1.9 blocks per game. Wilson also grabbed more defensive rebounds per game than Reese — 7.5 to 7.3 — and added 1.4 steals per game.
The Numbers Don’t Add Up
Atlanta finished 30-14 this season, tied with last year’s record. They ranked third in defensive rating, allowing 103.5 points per 100 possessions.
The Dream were a strong defensive unit before Reese joined the team, ranking second in defensive rating and giving up just 98.9 points per 100 possessions. However, the team has slipped a bit since then, now sitting a little worse defensively overall.
Roster changes and schedule shifts mean comparisons between seasons need to account for many variables, so a decline in defensive performance isn’t necessarily proof of a step back. Still, anyone presenting Reese’s arrival as a dramatic transformation will have to answer why the team ended up with the same win total and a slightly worse defensive rating.
On/Off Numbers With Caveats
Swish Appeal’s official awards voter Edwin Garcia labeled Reese with both an honorific and a descriptor tied to the award itself. He called her “shoo-in”, and he also referred to her as “a black hole, devouring everything that even attempts to enter the paint.”.
CBS Sports’ Jack Maloney used on/off figures in his explanation for choosing Reese, citing a 13-point gap. Atlanta’s own award announcement said 7.9. Garcia cited a 15.5-point difference with Reese off the floor.
The numbers reflect the combined output of five players, not Reese’s personal defensive work. And they shift dramatically based on where they originated and when they were withdrawn.
The Comparison Problem
Hoops Junkie’s version raises another question. Its defensive on/off comparison puts Aces guard Jackie Young at 15.1 points and A’ja Wilson at 7.0, giving Young a much larger apparent impact on the Aces’ defense.
Consider whether Young matters more to Las Vegas’ defense than Wilson does. Observe the Aces play and see if you can make that case hold up. Young is a solid defender, yet Wilson takes the hardest matchups night after night.
| Defender | Votes Received | Blocks Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| Angel Reese | 46 | 0.7 |
| Gabby Williams | 20 | — |
| A’ja Wilson | 4 | 1.9 |
The Rebound Records That Aren’t Defensive Either
Reese set rebounding records this season. Of her 521 rebounds, 206 came on offense. Those are valuable possessions to create, but they aren’t defensive stops and shouldn’t factor into a Defensive Player of the Year conversation.
The “mebounds” Reese gets after missing a layup and grabbing her own rebound tend to be overlooked. That happens because the focus on her rebounding records often gets buried beneath all the excitement.
The Media’s Role
Sportswriters and broadcasters are the ones who settle the award, which means they have a handy thing to point to whenever someone questions their judgment of Reese.
“Of course she’s elite. Look at the award we gave her.”
What This Means For The League
Four votes fall short of what Wilson deserves. Her defense offers options that Reese cannot match at the same level. She guards the basket, switches onto a guard, and defends possessions that take her far from the paint.
Wilson was guarding Caitlin Clark against Indiana in August when the game was still on the line in overtime, and she forced the turnover that set up Chelsea Gray’s winning 3-pointer. Aces coach Becky Hammon said after the game: “I’. She said afterward that she would take that matchup … any day.
The Atlanta Dream aren’t likely hoping Reese has to guard Clark along the perimeter when the game is on the line. If that matchup were to happen, it would point to some poor coaching and execution from the Dream.
Reese’s activity around the basket is valuable. But Wilson’s ability to handle that assignment is a major reason she’s the league’s best defender.
The Pattern Behind The Vote
This isn’t a tale questioning whether Reese excels; she does. She is constantly engaged, strips the ball from opponents, and generates opportunities for her squad to follow up.
This is a tale of how the press shapes her reputation. The prize was given to the athlete the media wished to honor, and that framing has shaped how supporters view the league’s top defenders.
Source material: “Angel Reese's Defensive Player of the Year win looks like WNBA media rewarding its own hype,” Fox News.
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